Second Gates-Seinfeld ad shows ad campaign has potential

The second ad, in its uncut form, is 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Microsoft is …

The first Windows ad featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates and made by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the ad agency that won the big $300 million contract with Microsoft, left us a bit confused. Almost everyone in the blogosphere agreed that it could have been done a bit better, even if they didn't directly attack Apple on the Get a Mac ads.

The good thing was that it got people talking, and the second ad (high quality version) does the same, plus it's a little bit funnier. The uncut version is also very long: 4 minutes and 30 seconds, but Microsoft wants to stick with its 1:30 timeframe. Part 1 and Part 2 of "A Family Affair" will be the ones that air on TV.

Again the ad doesn't talk very much about Windows, but it does emphasize that the Gates-Seinfeld duo has a story to tell. The second ad picks up soon after the first, so we know that while these ads should be seen in order, they can stand up by themselves. The second ad is still part of the introduction phase, but Microsoft promises that the next phase, the one that focuses on Windows, Windows Mobile, and Windows Live, is just around the corner. Regardless of what people think of these ads so far, everyone I have talked to is curious as to what comes next, and that interest is a good thing.